Iris Romen is a singer, singing teacher, instrumentalist and composer,
born and raised in Maastricht (the Netherlands), living in Berlin since 2004.
As a child, she has always been convinced of her existence making sense as a singer and songwriter.
At 18, she started singing with a little orchestra called The Spats Company, by cello player Gabor Bartos. Music from the roaring twenties !

Singing with The Spats Company at 18

While listening to grunge, Iris started studying Jazz Singing at the Maastricht Conservatorium,
where she got her diploma cum laude in 2001.. while listening to rock and cuban music.
In 2004, after having lived in and toured through several places in Europe and beyond,
she moves to Berlin where she enjoys the wide scale of music styles and opportunities
to make music in various settings.

Be it rocking her contrabass and singing with her all-girl countrypunk band The Runaway Brides,

Photo by Thomas Gust

singing as the bandleader to the weekly Schwoof at Clärchens Ballhaus, or with Andrej Hermlin’s 1930’s bigband, at Adlon or at the Philharmony.

Solo in Eberswalde, Photo by Thorsten Groß

CD release concert at Heimathafen, Berlin, 2013

With actor and singer Ben Becker
live at St. Pauli Theater

With Astrid North at Bar Jeder Vernunft, 2016

With her own band, or as a guest with Astrid North, Ben Becker, Tele, Robbie AG Moore, members of The BossHoss, Johnny Trouble, Lüül, Mark Scheibe, Joy Denalany, Señor Torpedo or Ray Collins,
at ATrane, Bar Jeder Vernunft, White Trash, on radio or tv or in any smaller or bigger venue
across Germany and Europe.
Along the way, she learned to play the contrabass, her Fender Rhodes and Framus guitar, that are today
part of her solo set-up.
In 2008, she and Marc Schmolling win the Berlin Jazz Prize
In 2013, she releases her first album of originals „Vintage Gal Hour“ with Michael Rank’s Chet Records (department of Kosmo Music) label,
supported by the federal sponsorship of Initiative Musik and a publishing deal with Universal Publishing.

Finally, the first originals are seeing the light !

Since 2014, Iris is a singing teacher two days a week in her special sounding room in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin.
Since April 2016, almost every Sunday, Iris sings at her steady solo gig at Muse Berlin (café & restaurant) during Sunday brunch (Prenzlauer Berg).

2017

In October 2017, Iris, as a bandmember of Robot (duett vocals and Rhodes) went on ‘COMMON GROUND TOUR’ with Robot, and singer-songwriters Lary and Jesper Munk, playing, among other venues, at a sold out Muffathalle in München.

In December 2017, a solo EP called ‘Home’, containing solo sketches of new originals recorded at The Famous Gold Watch AudioVisual Studios was being released labelless, primarily for promo.
In December 2017, Iris went on a 13-day tour with singer-songwriter and Clueso drummer Tim Neuhaus
to play as his support act as well singing and playing Rhodes in his new band with Florian Holoubek, Fabian Holoubek and Andy Köcher.

(Photos above by Christopher Kelemen, below one by Simone Menthe)

One exception though she made, skipping one tournight – to sing a special Ella Fitzgerald 100th Anniversary Tribute concert at Deutsche Oper Berlin on the 10th of December.

CURRENTLY WORKING WITH
IRIS ROMEN and her band
Alexey Wagner (guitar)
Micha Fromme (drums)

Hello nightingale, Starling and truth-seeker !
I am a singing teacher for everyone who enjoys singing or wants to re-gain
for life the joy in singing.
Learn easily how to let your body and mind open up in order to
<<let the soul breathe>> and transfer your musical statements – without blocks.

Iris Romen studied jazz singing in Maastricht (NL) and works as a singer, singing teacher, instrumentalist and Songwriter in various musical styles.
She works passionately with the connections between posture, voice management, thought patterns, hearing and repertoire.
She accompanies singers on guitar, contrabass or piano.